


Don't Fear the Reaper

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Conflicted Daryl, Daryl backstory, Depression, F/M, Homelessness, Mentions of Suicide Attempts, Mentions of various types of death (non character), Reaper!Daryl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: Daryl is a reaper of souls. He finds one that is ready to go, but he is unable to take.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bella_Monoxide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bella_Monoxide/gifts).



> I know this will be a hard sell, but I poured my heart and soul into it. My undying thanks to Bella_Monoxide for her excellent Beta services. This story would not be half as good if she hadn't looked over it twice, just to ease my mind. Thank you Bella, for all your suggestions and notes. Some of the lines came directly from her so she should technically get co-writer status. I love you Bella!!!  
> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Don’t Fear the Reaper

 

He stared into the dying man's eyes as the light faded behind them. Daryl felt the beat of his heart increase exponentially before abruptly stopping. "Sorry old man," he whispered as he pulled the old soul from the body. "You had a great life though; I'd love to hear your side of it sometime. Maybe when you get situated, I'll come for a visit." The old man smiled at Daryl and faded into oblivion. His job was a bittersweet one for him. On one hand, a lot of the souls he took were ready; good, long lives, happy memories, and descendants that would make their own mark on the world.

This particular man, whose body lay still as Daryl himself disappeared, was one of those. He had been a decorated war hero, lived to almost one hundred years and served on the USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941. Daryl sat with him while his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren filed in and out of his hospital room. He heard the stories they told of their youth; the camping trips, the birthday parties, and apparently Mr. Andrews had been quite the practical joker. Daryl enjoyed learning about the lives these souls had led; loved sitting with them when he could. Most of them saw him coming a mile away, and those were the times he took care to ease them into the transition. 

After he reaped Mr. Andrews, Daryl walked the streets for a while. He had been so busy lately that he hadn't had time to rest or relax, and wanted to see the sights and maybe do a little people watching, so he wandered the streets of Atlanta at night. There were so many people in the cities now; so many more than had been there when he still lived on Earth. When he had still drawn breath, the big cities were just being built; it was the beginning of the twentieth century and Daryl only got to the city whenever his Pa needed to borrow money from the bank.

Every now and then Daryl thought about the Reaper that had taken him; a beautiful woman with short, silver hair. She had kind eyes and a gentle disposition; something that Daryl strove to give the souls he now took to their afterlife. He remembered his death in graphic detail; most reapers could. He had been in town with his father and older brother, and the bank had loaned the oldest Dixon three hundred dollars. He claimed the loan was to buy more farming equipment and sustain the family until the harvest came in, but as soon as the money was in his hand, Will Dixon and his oldest son were across the road in the saloon; drinking and whoring. Daryl didn't want to have anything to do with that; his family was looked down upon and to avoid confrontation while in town, he usually hid or walked home by himself. 

Daryl was eighteen years old in 1908; he had stopped going to school ten years ago to take up the slack at the farm and tend to his ailing mother. She was the only person who ever gave him love and affection, and he was the only one who gave it back to her. She died of tuberculosis later that year, and Daryl's daddy never forgave him for letting her die; his life had been hell after that. So many times he cried at night thinking of the story his teacher had read to him once, of the little cinder girl and hoped that someday he too could leave this place and have a better life.

He had decided to walk home on this particular day, and became distracted by thoughts of going North, or maybe West to start a new life. He had found that he was adept at working on automobiles and had been sneaking off to Mr. Horvath's place to learn about his. The old man had a Holsman High Wheel that he had delivered straight from Chicago, and Daryl had fallen in love with the contraption the minute he first saw it. Mr. Horvath was the wealthiest man in Senoia, having owned and operated the first retail vacuum cleaner retail store in Atlanta. After retiring and moving to Senoia three years ago, he had taken a shine to Daryl; the older man had even offered to purchase one of the newly manufactured motorcycles from the Harley-Davidson Company for the young man, but Daryl had kindly refused, saying that if his father ever found out about it he would beat Daryl within an inch of his life. 

Daryl had become so engrossed in his thoughts and plans for his future he did not, at first, hear the screams of the children trapped in a runaway wagon. When he was startled out of his daydreams, he immediately went into action. He was able to grab the reigns and disconnect the horses from the wagon, then leaped onto the back of one of the horses. His foot became caught in the ties that connected the horses together and he was pulled under and trampled. He could sense his soul leave his body, then felt the arms of his silver-haired savior as they wrapped around him. All it took was one look into her eyes and he relaxed, and allowed her to take him without a fight.

It hadn't been his time. His "prepared place" was not ready for him and wouldn't be for another sixty years. His reaper had recommended he become a reaper as well; he had the compassion for it, and he had always cared for the wellbeing of others, whether they had felt the same for him or not. Taking the souls of the recently departed was something he found he had a special talent for; there had been times when he had been requested specifically to take family members of people whose souls he had taken care of in the past. Parents and Grandparents asking for Daryl to take their children and grandchildren when it was their time, knowing that Daryl would comfort them and still their fears. There had been only one time when his job brought him pure joy, and that was the night he escorted his father's soul to the gates of Hell.

********************************************************************************************************************

This night he reveled in the lights that shown bright against the night sky. He had no one else on his docket; any more reaping would be an emergency situation. He hated those; there was no time to prepare the soul and it always took forever to explain the situation and calm them down. Daryl walked unhindered through the streets of downtown Atlanta, drinking in the smells and the conversations. He stood at the corner of a street that was home to multiple cafés and restaurants, watching couples holding hands; some on first dates, some on fiftieth. He heard couples arguing and laughing; he saw men and women sitting at their tables alone, waiting for a date that would never show. 

Suddenly, a shadow passed by him from the other side of the street. In his peripheral vision, a flash of green and yellow blurred together and stole his attention from the people he was watching. He drifted to the other side of the street and caught sight of a dark figure; a female. She had one hand in her pocket and the other was carrying a bag of take-out food and a yellow umbrella. She was wearing all black, which would camouflage her in the darkness on this side of the street, but Daryl could see her, plain as day. He floated in the air until he caught up, and walked side by side with her, even though she never knew he was there. 

He followed her down dark streets and alleyways until she stopped behind an all-night liquor store and slid down the wall to sit on her ass. While she took her food out of the bag, Daryl took in his surroundings. There were two smelly dumpsters across from them and a threadbare blanket hanging from the top of one of them. He watched her eat her burger and fries as though she hadn't eaten in days, and he was afraid that may have been the case. It was obvious she slept here, and as Daryl focused on her, he began to see much more. Behind her brilliant, green eyes, she looked so young; she couldn’t be any older that he had been, but looked so world weary at the same time. Her long, dark hair hadn't been washed in weeks and neither had her body. 

He knelt in front of her and observed her closely. Her name was Ava, and her soul was dark, but not evil; her heart was full, and overflowed from her eyes. She cried silently as she ate, as if the food repulsed her, but her stomach demanded she consume it. He couldn't comfort her; he couldn't wipe her tears or hold her close, but he could calm her with his presence. Daryl moved to sit next to her against the wall; he sat so close that if he had been corporal, their thighs would be touching. She shivered violently at his closeness. Even if she could not see him, she could feel him. 

In his one hundred years as a reaper of souls, he had seen many humans in pain, both physically and emotionally. But somehow, the pain Ava felt touched him in an entirely different way. Most people would refer to her as goth or emo, but Daryl just called it psychologically damaged. He didn't know what she had been through or why she was sleeping behind a liquor store, he wasn't privy to that information, but he sensed her desires; she had so many and they conflicted with each other. She was desperate to be seen, desperate to not be alone anymore, and desperate to be loved. But she was also desperate for it all to be over. She had tried to end it so many times, but had been unsuccessful; she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

After she finished her meal, she stood and threw her trash in the dumpster and took the blanket down. Taking off her black hoodie, she rolled it up and laid her head on it, covering herself with the thin blanket. Daryl didn't have anywhere to go, so he moved to lay behind her and kept her company until the next morning.

********************************************************************************************************************

Daryl followed Ava every night for a week; he only left her side twice. One time was for a woman who was dying of breast cancer, and the other was for a car full of drunk teenagers. He found out where she got what little money she had; the second night he saw her, she was getting out of a black Chrysler Le Baron and tucking a few bills in her pocket. He didn't want to ever see that again, so he always waited until later to find her. He had fallen into a routine with her; sitting with her while she ate, then lying next to her as she slept. He was torn between wanting to save her and wanting to reap her. He had seen so much in his time and knew that things wouldn't get better for her; he knew Ava would end up dying behind the liquor store and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. He wanted to tell her that there was a better place for her; that in less than a second he could take her to a place where she would be free and there would be no more pain, but she was not on her way out of this life yet. He stayed with her, as close as he could get and hoped that she could feel him there.

********************************************************************************************************************

Every now and then, he would see his reaper. Their paths would cross every so often and they were always happy to see each other. This time, he sought her out; he was knee deep in an existential crisis regarding this girl and needed advice from the only person he trusted. She met him behind the liquor store during the daytime, when Ava wasn't there. Daryl told her everything he had observed and sensed about the girl and his conundrum regarding what he should do.

"There isn't anything you can do Daryl; she isn't scheduled to be reaped. You've obviously connected with her, but you need to let her go. You have one job and she isn't ready to go."

Daryl huffed at her in anger. "You need to see her Carol. She’s ready; she's been ready for a long time, but something is keeping her here. She needs to be released now or she's gonna die in this alley."

"Whether she dies now or later, it doesn't matter. When it's her time, it's her time, and you can't influence that. You need to let her go and allow whatever happens to happen. I can make sure that when it's her time, you are her reaper, but that is as much as I can do. Have you ever thought about why she's been so unsuccessful with her attempts?"

Daryl wasn't prepared for that question. "No," he answered her.

"Well, maybe one of those things that she desires so much is out there waiting for her; did you ever consider that?"

"No, I guess I didn't," Daryl replied sheepishly. "But I can't leave her; I can't let her spend her time waiting alone. I just won't do it Carol."

Carol smiled and shook her head. "Daryl, you're in love with her. I don't think I've ever known of a reaper falling in love with a living person, but you've done it. This is quite a problem, you know."

"I know that; that's why I wanted to talk to you. I was hoping you could tell me what to do." Daryl sounded defeated.

"I can't do that. You've set a precedent; there are no rules where this is concerned. I can advise you to leave her be, but I can't force you to do it. Whatever you decide to do, you will have to deal with the consequences, for yourself and for her. Just promise me you'll think about how your actions will affect her before you do something that you'll regret."

"Yeah, I promise. Thank you for trying to help; I really appreciate it."

"I'm not only the one who reaped your soul, but am the one responsible for you being a reaper yourself. I feel as though you're my protégé. I'll always be here to help you Daryl, no matter how complicated you make things." She smiled at him and put her hand on his shoulder in a show of affection. When she was gone, Daryl slid down the wall of the liquor store. He was fully aware that he was in love with Ava, and the more he thought about it, the thought that there was someone out there that would find her and pull her out of this hell she had found herself in, bothered him. He wanted to be the one to save her; he wanted to take her soul to have for himself.

********************************************************************************************************************

Two more months rolled by and Daryl was still by Ava’s side. He comforted her with his presence and did what he could to make her feel safe, which, unfortunately, wasn't much. He knew her soul was strong; in all the time he had been with her he had never seen her take a drink of alcohol, a pill, or inject anything into her body. She would smoke a cigarette occasionally when she was able to come across it, and watching her these past few months had make him crave the soothing taste of the nicotine he had enjoyed when he was living. He stood by silently as she wasted away; she had almost stopped eating completely and slept more during the daytime. He could feel her body shutting down and her mind crying out for something to change. 

One night, after a particularly sad reaping, a young girl that had been killed by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting in an inner city neighborhood, Daryl went looking for Ava. He needed the comfort of her presence tonight as much as she needed his. He waited at the corner where he usually saw her, but she never came. He waited for an hour, but she never showed. Trying not to overreact, he walked through the alleyways that took him to the liquor store. He knew she was still alive, he would have been called to take her soul if she was dead; Carol had promised him that. When he turned the corner behind the store he saw Ava lying on the ground in the fetal position. He rushed like an Autumn wind to her side and knelt down beside her. The girl's heartbeat was weak; her body was frail and malnourished, and the spark in her head was fading. 

He reached out and put his hand on her cheek; the first time he had ever touched her, and her eyes shot open. Ava looked straight into his eyes and Daryl was taken aback. Only those on his plane of existence could see him; only those whose souls were ready to move on. "Are you the one whose been watching me?" she asked in a soft, weak voice.

Daryl was stunned and didn't know quite what to say. "You can see me?"

"I can now," Ava replied. "I think I felt you, watching me, hovering over me. It was you, wasn't it?"

He was afraid to speak, so he just nodded his head. 

"Why? What are you?" she asked in a whispered voice.

Daryl cleared his throat and leaned down to whisper gently in her ear. "I am a reaper of souls. I take those who are departed to their eternal homes."

Tears fell down her cheek as she reached for him. He took her in his arms and held her up against his chest. "Are you here for me? Is it finally my time?"

He lifted her face to his and smiled at her. "Yes sweetheart; I'm here to take you to a better place. A place where there's no hurting, no pain; a place where you'll smile and laugh. I've been with you, waiting for it to be your time."

"I'm so tired. I've tried, but I can't do this anymore. Will you be there with me?"

"I will be with you as long as they allow me to be. I haven't left you yet, and I'm not planning on it now. I love you too much to let you go."

Ava’s eyes widened and more tears fell. "No one has ever loved me before. I waited my whole life to hear someone say that to me, and now it's the last thing I'm ever gonna hear. I think I've been waiting for you too." 

Daryl rested his forehead against hers and inhaled deeply. Carol was right; she had been waiting for him to fulfill her desire to be loved, and she had felt his love even though she had never seen him. He brought their lips together chastely and her eyes closed for the last time; her body slumped, lifeless against his, but their lips never parted. They stayed that way, kissing softly for quite a long time until he felt the pull. "It's time to go," he told her and held her soul tightly in his arms as they flew, together through the stars.

********************************************************************************************************************

Daryl was surprised to see Carol waiting for them at Heaven's gate. He was still holding the girl in his arms and didn't let her go, even though he knew he would have to soon. "Carol, thank you. This means everything to me," he told her with more emotion than she had ever seen from him.

"I know Daryl. I promised you, and I this is something only you could have done." She looked at the girl and smiled her sweet, comforting smile. "It's time sweetheart. I'm here to escort you home."

She looked at Carol, then Daryl. She buried her face in his neck. "I don't want to leave you," she whispered.

"He won't be leaving you dear," Carol said, and Daryl looked at her curiously. "You've been one of the best reapers there have ever been Daryl, but it's over. Your job is done, your place is ready now."

He shook his head; he was confused and thought he had misheard her. "What does that mean Carol?"

"It means that your place is her place too. Her soul was your last and its time for you to move on to your new home, with her; for eternity."

Daryl and his girl looked at each other; both stunned by what Carol had told them. The silver angel began walking away, crooking her finger at them to follow her. "Better hurry up; I don't want to lose you two." They followed behind her until they came to what appeared to be and old farmhouse; Daryl suddenly stopped in his tracks when he realized what this place was. It was built in the image of his home in Senoia. "I tried to make it to the exact specifications that you would remember, but I may have missed some details. You'll forgive me, but there were a lot of things that I didn't know about your home." 

For the first time since he took her soul, Daryl released the girl and wrapped his arms around Carol. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"You don't have to thank me; I know this place held horrible memories for you, but maybe now you two make your own happy ones." He released her and nodded his head, agreeing with her and knowing that she was right. "It's time for me to go, but I'll always be here when you need me; just call for me and I'll be right by your side." before she dissipated, she remembered something else. "Oh, there are a couple of surprises for you in the barn. I know you won't need to use them, but I thought it would be something you would like to have."

When she was gone, he went back to his girl. Her soul was so beautiful and he kissed her again. He didn't think either of them would get their happy ending, but they had, and he was still astonished to know that he was able to be that for her. 

"Let's go around to the barn and see what she left for us." Prying the barn doors open was so much easier for him now than it had been when he was growing up, and as soon as they walked inside, Daryl gasped. Inside was parked a Holsman High Wheel and a 1908 Harley Davidson Model 4 motorcycle. Daryl knew there was no reason to have them, but Carol had made sure they were there for him; probably so he could have something from his old life that made him happy.

She was curious about the vehicles, but didn't ask. That was something she could do later; they did have an eternity to learn about each other. "Come on," he said, and took her hand leading her back outside. "I want to show you my home, our home. I hope you like it." 

"If I had to spend eternity in that alley just so I could be with you now, I would have done it gladly," she told him. 

He shook his head. "No. That life is over, and it was no life anyway. I'm your life now, and you're mine." He put his hands on her waist and pulled her close to him. He kissed her again, but this time there was passion and need there. "I've waited over a hundred years for you; I'm never letting you out of my sight, or out of my bed, for the foreseeable future. I'm yours forever, and you will never be sad, or hurt ever again. I love you."


End file.
